Reviews

This is every shanghaied staple which might look rather plain and simple but don't let that fool you. The scallion noodles actually packs a punch and for those who have fiery tastebuds; do consider adding some chilli oil to this for some added spice. This dish can also be eaten together with some popular Shanghainese sides.

I have to say I was rather disappointed with this dish as I remembered the batter to be much thinner and crispier on the outside. The current version is a lot thicker and the taste of the flour seems to overwhelm that of the egg.

Looks like Ding tele has revamped their menu by adding a few hot favourites on their menu. One of which caught my eyes has to be the one with crab roe. The addition of crab essence in XLB managed to add an additional layer of depth in the broth as it's not too oily and has a umami taste to it.

The Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns (生煎包) from Dingtele are mini paus that are pan-fried till crispy at the bottom. There is a burst of pork broth when you bite into them, and the flavourful broth fills up one soup spoon. The pork filling is generous, delicious and pretty value-for-money at $5.40 for 4 pieces. The other items that I tried are generally underwhelming though (e.g. sesame noodles, xiao long bao), but I wouldn’t mind returning just for the 生煎包.

Better known as the cousin of the famous xiao long bao, sheng jian can be considered a fried version of the soup based pork dumpling. Being a born and breed Shanghainese, I have once gone a spree to find out the best Shanghainese eats in Singapore and I am confident to conclude that Ding tele is one of those few eateries where most of the dishes came close to the childhood taste I have in mind. In particular, the sheng jian is a must eat because the the rich soup of the pork bun overwhelms you at first bite but it gets even better when you reach the pan fried base. It's so addictive that I can polish off an entire plate by myself!

What a delight this was — juicy and plump pork filling encased in a fluffy, slightly sweet bun pan fried to golden brown perfection. Ahhhh, will definitely be coming back for more of this, and perhaps their chilli oil dumplings as well.